Saturday, May 31, 2008

CVS and Walgreens Trips

CVS Trip #1
1 Mega Pack Pampers
1 Pampers wipes
2 Sobe waters

Total before coupons = $20.76
Total after coupons = $9.76
ECB's used = $8.00
Total oop = $1.76
ECB's received = $1.00



CVS trip #2
1 12 pack Cottonelle
1 Freestyle meter
1 gallon milk
2 Sobe waters

Total before coupons = $22.25
Total after coupons = $13.25
ECB's used = $12.00
Total oop = $1.25
ECB's received = $11.00



CVS Trip #3
3 Ragu sauces
2 Hellmann's mayonnaise
1 Adidas deodorant

Total before coupons = $15.49
Total after coupons = $8.19
ECB's used $8.00
Total oop = $.19
ECB's received = 7.99



CVS Trip #4 (No picture because DH put the stuff away again before I got a picture.)

1 Freestyle Meter
2 Boxes Honey Bunches of Oats
1 Bottle water

Total before coupons = $15.67
Total after coupons = $10.67
ECB's used = $10.00
Total oop = $.67
ECB's received = $10.00





Walgreens Trip (No picture again.)

2 bags Chex Mix
6 Bottles Excedrin
1 Bic Soleil razor
1 pack razor cartridges
2 Gatorade
1 can Pringles
4 bags Dove chocolate

Total before coupons = $41.59
Total after coupons = $1.56

You know you're a coupon geek when instead of getting excited about paying $1.56 for $41.59 worth of stuff, you get mad at yourself because you paid more than you should have because you forgot to give the cashier one of your coupons!

What is this Junk?

It's coupons, receipts, sales flyers, and other couponing paraphenalia. This mess cost me $1.50 the other day! I was in the middle of cleaning everything out, and had to leave for an appointment before I got done. I needed to stop at CVS on my way back to get diapers. I knew I had a $1.50 coupon somewhere in that mess, but I couldn't find it before I had to leave. The dumb thing is that I had already pulled the coupon out earlier, but had stuck it back in the pile. Why did I not just put it in my CVS envelope since I knew I was going to be using it?
I never did find that coupon, by the way. What in the world happened to it?
Moral of the story: keep your coupons organized, and you won't waste money!

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Harris Teeter Deals for May 28 - June 3

To see the entire ad, just click on the banner.
Harris Teeter ad


Hamburger Helper
Sale price = 5/$5
Use $1/2 printable or $.75/3 from 4/20 S, doubled
You pay = $.50 each

Fast Fixin' Chicken Products
Sale price = BOGO (not sure of original prices)
Use $1/1 printable
You pay = Varies

Purina Dog Chow 17.6 lbs.
Sale price = BOGO, saving $13.99 on 2
Use $4/1 printable (take survey to get coupon)
You pay = $3.00 each

Spray 'N' Wash
Sale price = BOGO, saving $2.99 on 2
Use $.50/1 from 5/4 S, doubled
You pay = $.50 each

Pepperidge Farm Swirl Bread
Sale price = 2/$5
Use $.40/1 from 4/6 S, doubled
You pay = $1.70 each

Stonyfield Farm Smoothie
Sale price = 2/$3
Use $.50/1 printable, doubled
You pay = $.50 each

Kashi Entrees
Sale price = 2/$6
Use $2/1 printable
You pay = $1.00 each

Kashi Waffles
Sale price = 2/$4
Use $2/1 printable
You pay = FREE

Kashi Frozen Pizzas
Sale price = 2/$10
Use $2/1 printable
You pay = $3.00 each

Post LiveActive Cereal
Sale price = 2/$5
Use $3/1 printable (anybody know if this link is still working?)
You pay = FREE, plus $.50 overage

Glass Plus
Sale price = BOGO, saving $2.79 on 2
Use $.50/1 from 3/16 S2 or 5/4 S, doubled
You pay = $.40 each


Go visit the Thursday edition of the Grocery Gathering to see all the best deals for the week!
Thursday Grocery Gathering

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Free DVD+R 10-Pack at Office Depot




Register here for Office Depot's weekly email specials and they will email you a coupon to take to the store for a free DVD+R 10-pack.

Money in my Mailbox

Today I received a $20 check from MySurvey.com. I got a $10 check earlier this month. If you haven't signed up yet, you can do so by clicking on the banner below. If you want more information you can read my previous post about it. Happy earning!

Monday, May 26, 2008

Sonic Coupon

Get two chili cheese coney combos for $5 with this coupon at Sonic.

Go here to print it. Enjoy!

Today's Freebies

If you liked your free sample of the Gillette Body Wash, you can get another one here.




Keep yourself safe from germs with a free Klean-To-Go Personal Protection Packet.



Subscribe to their newsletter to receive a free sample of Teeccino caffeine free herbal coffee.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Ingles Deals for May 25-31

To see the entire ad, just click on the Advantage card.

Ingles Advertisement


Sweet 'N' Low
Sale price = BOGO, saving $2.02 on 2
Use $.35/1 printable coupon, doubled
You pay = $.41

Lawry's Marinades
Sale price = BOGO, saving $2.38 on 2
Use $.50/1 from 4/6 or 5/18 RP, doubled
You pay = $.19 each

Malt-O-Meal Cereal
Sale price = BOGO, saving up to $4.43 on 2
Use $1.50 (sign up) or $1.00 printable coupon
You pay = Varies

McCormick Grill Mates
Sale price = BOGO, saving $2.28 on 2
Use $.25/1 from 5/4 RP, doubled
You pay = $.64 each

Kotex Lightdays
Sale price = BOGO, saving $1.38 on 2
Use $1/1 from May 31st All You magazine
You pay = $.31 overage

Beech Nut Stage 2 Baby Food
Sale price = 10/$4
Use $1.50/8 from 3/30 S
You pay = $.21 each

Wisk Laundry Detergent 26-32 loads
Sale price = $3.98
Use $1.50/1 from 5/18 RP
You pay = $2.48 each

Eskimo Pie Ice Cream Bars
Sale price = 2/$5
Use $1/1 from 5/18 S1
You pay = $1.50 each

Tennessee Pride sausage 16 oz.
Sale price = BOGO, saving $2.98 on 2
Use $.50/1 from 5/18 RP
You pay = $.49 each


Go visit the Monday edition of the Grocery Gathering to see all the best deals for the week!
Thursday Grocery Gathering






Saturday, May 24, 2008

Just a Reminder

There will not be any inserts tomorrow (Memorial Day weekend), so don't buy a paper (unless you just wanted one anyway).

CVS Trip

I really needed some...well...toilet paper. Really bad. We were on our last roll. So I stopped by CVS while I was out today to work some into a deal. Well, I got so excited that the Colgate toothbrushes were actually in stock that I forgot to get toilet paper! And, to be even dumber, I bought all 5 toothbrushes in one transaction, which means $19.95 in ECB's to try and spend all at once. What a genius! Thankfully, I had to stop by the church later on, and there is a CVS really close, so I got another chance at getting the toilet paper. Baby boy was really tired, though, and I was ready to get home too, so I was praying that I would be able to find the Adidas deodorant in stock so that I wouldn't have to work out anything complicated. Praise the Lord, they had some, so I got:

2 Adidas deodorant @ $4.99 ea.
1 Toilet Paper @ $3.99
2 Sobe waters @ $1.00 ea.

Total before coupons = $15.97

Used $3/$15
2 Free Adidas coupons from All You magazine
1 BOGO Sobe coupon

Total after coupons = $1.99 plus tax

Received back $10.98 in ECB's

I didn't get a picture because when I got home DH told me to go take a nap, and when I woke up everything was put away! I'm not complaining!

Friday, May 23, 2008

Food Lion Trip



I got my $.99 hamburger today. Lots of it. We won't be buying meat for a while now. Once our garden comes in we won't have to buy produce either, so we can save on some gas money by not having to go grocery shopping every week.



While I was there I decided to grab some other deals.



FL Hamburger buns were $1.29; used $.50 FL printable; total = $.69



FL cheese was $1.89; used $.50 FL printable; total = $1.39



Flushable wipes were $1.50; used $1.50 FL printable; total = FREE



Glad Simply Cooking bags were $1.60; used $1.00 FL printable; total = $.60



Kraft Singles were 2/$4; used $1.00 FL printable and $1.00 blinkie on each; total = FREE



Total for all this and 22 pounds of hamburger = $24.60

Counting the Cost of Free


Do you ever think about the fact that just because something is "free", it's not really always free? You still have to spend the time and energy to clip the coupon and go to the store to get it. You have to spend the gas money (lots of it these days) to go to the store. And you have to pay sales tax on everything you buy, whether it was free or not.

If you are already going to be in that particular store where you are going to get your free item, then you might as well go ahead and pick it up, as long as it's worth the price you'll pay in sales tax. If it's something you'll never use or give to someone who needs it, you might as well not even spend a few cents of sales tax on it. If you make a special trip just to get a particular "free" item, then you need to figure in how much you spend in gas as well. I guarantee you if you forego the free stuff you don't really need and put everything you would have spent on sales tax and gas in a jar, it will add up very quickly, and you'll be surprised how much you can spend on "free" stuff.

Another consideration is your time. Sometimes it's just not worth it to spend the time. Your family is more important than all the free things you bring home to them. For example, I was planning on stopping by Ingles on my way home today because I was going to buy some more vitamins and use the overage to get something free as a treat for our family. It wouldn't have cost me any more in gas because I was driving right past there anyway. But baby boy was tired and not feeling well, and I knew I had some housework to get done before DH got home from work. So I decided that it would be more loving of me to get baby boy home to his bed and let DH come home to an orderly house than to drag baby boy to yet another store to get something I didn't really need anyway.

I do like a good deal, but only if it's truly worth it.

Let me say, though, that I am not opposed to buying things I don't need if it's under the right circumstances. That usually occurs at CVS when I buy things that are money makers so that I can use the extra money to buy things I do need. This concept is outlined clearly by Gina at Mommy Making Money.

Count the cost! Never buy something for the sole reason that it is "free". Is it worth your time, energy, gas, and tax money? If it is, go for it! If not, just wait. A better deal will always come around.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Free Edge Shaving Gel at Walgreens


Trial sized Edge shaving gel is on sale for $.99 at Walgreens this week. Use this $1.00 off coupon to get it for free!


*Note: I wouldn't try buying just the shaving gel, though, since the coupon amount is higher than the purchase price. Throw something else you need in there, and it shouldn't be a problem.

Free Books for Children Under Five

Find out here if the Imagination Library program is available in your area. If you enroll your child, he will receive a book every month until he is five years old.
My son has received 4 or 5 books so far, and there was only one that we did not care for. All the rest have been very nice. This is the one that came in the mail today.

This is a great way to build up your child's library without spending a dime!

CVS Moneymaker for May 25 and 26


Buy Revlon Nail Enamel at $3.99 (Limit 3)
Use $2.00 coupon from 5/18 insert
Final price = $1.99
Receive back $3.00 in ECB's!

Thanks, Be Thrifty Like Us!

Free Sierra Mist at CVS on May 25 and 26


CVS will have Pepsi products Buy One Get One Free on May 25 and 26. There is a BOGO coupon here for Sierra Mist (regular or diet). Buy two bottles and get both free!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Harris Teeter Deals for May 21-27

To see the entire ad, just click on the banner.
Harris Teeter ad


Pork Roast
Sale price = $.88 lb.

Kraft Salad Dressing 16 oz.
Sale price = BOGO, saving $2.79 on 2
Use $.75/2 from 5/11 S, doubled
You pay = $.65 each

Purex Laundry Detergent, 32 loads
Sale price = BOGO, saving $4.99 on 2
Use $1/1 from 3/16 S1
You pay = $1.50 each

Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner
Sale price = BOGO, saving $3.79 on 2
Use $.75/1 from 5/11 S
You pay = $.40 each

Ocean Spray Cranberry Cocktail
Sale price = BOGO, saving $3.69 on 2
Use $1/1 from 5/11 S
You pay = $.85 each

Banana Boat Sun Care
Sale price = BOGO, saving $8.99 to $9.99 on 2
Use $1/1 from 4/13 S
You pay = $3.50 to $4.50 each

Air Wick Starter Kit
Sale price = BOGO, saving $11.99 on 2
Use $4/1 printable coupon here or here
You pay = $2.00 each


French's Mustard
Sale price = 5/$5
Use .50/1 from 3/9 S, doubled
You pay = FREE


Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
Sale price = 2/$4
Use $.55/1 from 5/18 S1, doubled
You pay = $.90 each


Hebrew National Beef Franks
Sale price = 3/$9.99
Use $.75/1 from 5/18 S1, doubled
You pay = $1.83 each


Slicing Cucumbers
Sale price = 2/$1


24 pk. Deer Park water
Sale price = $3.99
Use $.50/1 from 2/24 RP, doubled
You pay = $2.99 each


Claussen Kosher Pickles
Sale price = 2/$5
Use $.55/1 from 5/11 S, doubled
You pay = $1.40 each



Go visit the Thursday edition of the Grocery Gathering to see all the best deals for the week!
Thursday Grocery Gathering

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Walgreens Trip

I had $20 in Register Rewards that were about to expire, so I made a quick trip to Walgreens today. After coupons and Register Rewards I paid $1.23 for all this, and I will be getting back $9.47 in rebates.
That was nice and all, but I'm really starting to wonder if I want to bother going back to Walgreens. I have only been about 5 times, and all 5 times something has rung up wrong! I usually notice that the total is higher than I thought it should be, but don't check the receipt until I get to my car. By that time I don't feel like going back in to get the problem corrected (I've got a 7 month old to get in and out of the car). Today I got smart and checked the receipt before I left the store! :) I was overcharged by $3.29!
So what I'm wondering is, does this happen to other people besides me? Should I even bother going back? I've got a gift card from my rebates, and I could just keep rolling that every month on the free after rebate stuff, but is it really worth the trouble? What does everyone think?

I Got Paid to Shop At Ingles

Today I picked up some ground beef, 2 bottles of Sundown vitamins, and a box of SuperPretzels. The Superpretzels were BOGO which made 1 box $1.25. I had a $.50 coupon which doubled, so I paid $.25. The vitamins were BOGO as well. I found the cheapest thing which was $2.58 and used 2 $2.00 coupons, giving me $1.42 in overage. The meat I ended up returning (you can read about that here). So I ended up getting paid $1.17! The Sundown coupons were in both the 4-13 and 4-27 Redplum if you want to take advantage of that deal yourself. The BOGO's ring up half price, so you can still get some overage even if you only have one coupon.

How Good Came From a Dumb Mistake


Today while I was at Ingles I was going to pick up some of the ground chuck that they had for $1.78 lb. I walked straight to the sale sign and picked up several packages of meat that were directly under it. When I checked out I was thinking that my total was awfully high, but didn't bother to double check things because I was trying to hurry home so baby boy could fall asleep in his bed instead of his carseat. After I got home I checked the meat and realized I had bought the wrong thing, and I had paid $2.48 a pound for ground beef! $2.48 a pound - that's a lot for me! My husband called the manager and told him what had happened, and the manager graciously agreed to let us return the meat. Later on this evening I was checking the Food Lion ads for next week and found that there is ground beef on sale for $.99 a pound! It's 73% lean whereas ground chuck is 80% lean, but who cares? $.99 a pound is way better than $1.78 a pound, and way, way better than $2.48 a pound! If I had bought the correct thing at Ingles, I would have paid $1.78 a pound for my meat, but since I bought the wrong thing, and was able to return it, I can now pay $.99 a pound instead! God is so gracious to allow good to come out of our human mistakes!

Oh, and for all of you who are wanting a good deal on ground beef? You might want to buy your meat at Food Lion instead of Ingles this week.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Cheap Juicy Juice at Wal-Mart


We love juice at our house, but it's not exactly the cheapest thing in the world. I will be getting some cheaply this week, though! Juicy Juice Harvest Surprise is $1.50 at Wal-Mart, and there is a $1.00 coupon here, making it $.50! Thanks to Money Saving Mom for posting this deal!

More Free Johnson's Buddies


Johnson's Buddies soaps are right about $.99 at Wal-Mart, CVS, etc. There is a coupon here for $2 off 2 products, so you can get them for free, plus possibly a little overage! This link is one that has been out for a while, but I was just able to print from it again, so I'm guessing it has been reset. Here's another link to print a $1 coupon if you haven't done so already.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Ingles Deals for May 18-24





To see the entire ad, just click on the Advantage card.
Ingles Advertisement



5 lbs. or more Ground Chuck
Sale price = $1.78 lb.

Boneless skinless chicken breast
Sale price = $1.98 lb.

Duke's Mayonnaise 32 oz.
Sale price = $1.98
Use $.40/1 from 5/4 S, doubled
You pay = $1.18 each

Nestle Pure Life Water 24 pack
Sale price = $3.98
Use $1/1 from 3/9 RP
You pay = $2.98 each

KC Masterpiece Marinades
Sale price = $2/$4
Use $.50/1 from 4/13 RP, doubled
You pay = $1.00 each

Vlasic Pickle Spears 24 oz.
Sale price = 2/$4
Use $1/1 printable coupon here (Enter the sweepstakes, then click on instant savings)
You pay = $1.00 each

Hormel Black Label Bacon
Sale price = BOGO, saving $4.98 on 2
Use $.50/1 from 2/17 S, doubled
You pay = $1.49 each

Litehouse Salad Dressings
Sale price = 2/$5
Use $1/1 printable coupon here
You pay = $1.50 each

Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
Sale price = 3/$5
Use $.55/1 from 5/18 S1
You pay $1.12 each

Jell-o Refrigerated Desserts 6 pack
Sale price = 3/$7
Use $.50/1 from 4/6 S
You pay = $1.33 each

A1 Steak Sauce
Sale price = $2/$5
Use $1/1 from 5/11 S
You pay = $1.50 each

To see all the best deals for the week, go take a look at the Monday edition of the Grocery Gathering!


Thursday Grocery Gathering

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Yo-Plus Yogurt Coupon


Here's a coupon for $1.00 off Yo-Plus Yogurt. I just bought some of this at Wal-Mart. It is $1.98 for a 4 pack. With the coupon it will be $.98 for a 4-pack.

BOGO Blizzards at Dairy Queen


Register here for the Blizzard fan club, and you will be emailed a coupon for Buy One Blizzard, Get One Free!

Friday, May 16, 2008

Today's Freebies

Get a free sample of Excedrin here.


Relax with a free sample of Eucerin Calming Creme.

Enjoy a sample of Teddy Grahams Trail Mix.

Get a free subscribtion to Field and Stream or Outdoor Life here.

Go here to get a free sample of Viva paper towels.

Buy a Drink, Get Free SideKickers at Arby's


Here's a coupon you can print to get free regular Sidekickers after 2 PM with the purchase of any drink.

Taco Bell Frutista Freeze Coupon


Get a free Frutista Freeze with any purchase at Taco Bell. I'm sure you could just buy the cheapest thing on the menu, or if you were going to eat there anyway you might as well get a free dessert. Go here to print the coupon. (You can print two.)

Centsible Shopping at CVS - part 3




If you haven't yet read part 1 and part 2, you'll probably want to go ahead and do that so that part 3 will make more sense!



Now let me help you use your coupons in the most effective way.




First of all let me share some resources for coupons.




1. The Sunday paper. If you live in a small town like I do, you may want to consider buying the paper for an adjacent bigger city. The small town papers don't always carry all the coupon inserts, but the bigger cities usually do.



2. Internet coupons. I have never had a problem with CVS accepting coupons printed from the internet. Here is a list of some of the major coupon printing sites:



Coolsavings.com



Smartsource.com



Coupons.com



Boodle.com



Couponloop.com



A lot of times I'll just do a Google search for "such-and-such printable coupon". If there is a printable coupon for that product, you will usually find it on the first page of search results. If you don't see it right away, don't waste a lot of time looking for it.



3. In-store. Keep an eye out everywhere you go for coupons! Many items have coupons right on them that you can use. I have also gotten tons of coupons from brochures and pamphlets that I see in stores.



Now, keep in mind that there are manufacturer's coupons and CVS coupons. A manufacturer's coupon (MQ) is put out by the manufacturer, and it will say right on it "Manufacturer's Coupon". A CVS coupon is put out by CVS itself and it will say "CVS Coupon" somewhere on it. Many times these can be found in the store. For example, these beauty coupons were recently found on a magazine, and they say right on them "CVS Store coupons."




CVS store coupons can also come in your email inbox if you have registered your card on their website. They can be $4 off $20, $3 off $15 type (referred to as $/$$ coupons), they could be for a specific product, or they could be for a specific item, but with a broad range of brands ($4 off any body lotion, for example).


CVS store coupons can also print on the bottom of your receipt (referred to as CRT's, "Cash Register Tape") where your ECB's print.


Now, the great thing about store coupons is that you may use one store coupon and one manufacturer's coupon per item. This is so beneficial! If you were to buy some lotion that was normally $6, and you had a store coupon for $4 off and a MQ for $2 off, the lotion would be free! And it would be even better if it gave back ECB's!


Another coupon trick that some people don't know about is that since you may use one store coupon and one MQ per item, then if something is Buy One Get One Free (BOGO), then you could use a total of four coupons (2 store, 2 MQ). Some other stores will not let you use a coupon on the "free" item, but I have never had a problem with CVS allowing it.


Now, here's the best order in which to hand your coupons to the cashier. First give any $/$$ coupons you have. If you are using a $4 off $20, and you are buying exactly $20 worth, you don't want your other coupons to get scanned first because then your total would be below $20. Make sense? I usually just hold all my coupons and hand the $/$$ first while still holding all the others in my hand. When that one is safely scanned, I hand over my MQ's and CVS store coupons. After those are all scanned, the cashier will tell me my new total, but I will ask what the subtotal is (remember ECB's cannot pay for sales tax). Then I will dig through my stash of ECB's to find the one (or two or three) that most closely match the subtotal. You may use as many different ECB's as you want. Keep in mind, though, that if you give an amount in ECB's that is more than your total, you will not get the rest back; you will forfeit it. After your ECB's are scanned, you should (hopefully) only have to pay a dollar or two (or less) in actual cash.


Something that I find helpful to do sometimes is to not buy a bunch of the same ECB item in one transaction. For instance, if there is toothpaste that is $2.99 giving back $2.99 ECB's with a limit of 5, and if I buy all 5 in one transaction, I will not get back 5 different sets of $2.99 ECB's, I will get back one ECB worth $14.95. It's not always the easiest thing to spend that much in one shot! A lot of times I use so many coupons that my total before I even use my ECB's is only a couple dollars! Not everything that gives back ECB's goes on one, but everything of the same item. So all your toothpaste will go on one ECB, all your razors on another, etc.



All right, who's ready to try and plan a shopping trip to CVS? I don't plan out every little detail of my trip ahead of time because if something I had planned to get is out of stock, then it throws me off kilter, and I have to rework my math! Instead, I get a basic idea of what I would like to get and lay it out something like this:
ItemPrice Coupons I haveECB's I will receive
Toothpaste$2.99$1.00 x2$2.99
Razor$9.99$4.00$6.00
Etc.Etc.Etc.Etc.


If I am trying to work my way to $15 so I can use a $3/$15, then I can just browse through the price column, and throw in stuff until I get to $15. In the example above, if I found 2 of the toothpastes, and the razor, I could do a quick calculation: Total before coupons:$15.97. Total after coupons (including $3/$15): $6.97. ECB's I'll get back: $11.98. I try not to do a deal unless I either break even or come out with more ECB's than when I started. So, this one will work! If there was something I needed, I would be able to spend $5.01 on whatever it is that I need, and still break even!



Okay, so have I answered all your questions? If so, then go out there and get started on those deals! If not, please let me know, and I will do my best to answer any questions you still have.


Harris Teeter Deals

Here's the stuff I got with triple coupons.



I didn't do the greatest on my card, but I was just getting some stuff I needed. The total for this was $4.83 including tax.




Tic Tacs were $.99 each; used $.55/2; total was $.17 a pack


Teriyaki sauce was $1.50 each; used $.55/1; total was $.15 overage on each

KC Masterpiece was $1.50 each; used $.50/1; total was =$0.00


Red Baron Singles were $3.00 each; used $.75/1; total was $.75 each

Dole juice was $3.15; used $.50/1; total was $1.65


French's onions were $3.29; used $.75/1; total was $1.04





Hubby's card was much better! Including tax I paid $.11 for all this! (I guess my subtotal was negative because tax alone was $.27!)


Eggo frozen products were $1.67 each; used $.55/1; total was $.02 each

Nature's Own breakfast bread was 1.99 each; used $.55/1; total was $.34 each

Snyder's pretzel pieces were $2.50 each; used $.75/1; total was $.25 each

Barilla pasta was $1.00 each; used $.50/1; total was $.39 overage on each

KC Masterpiece was $1.50 each; used $.50/1; total was $0.00

Werther's Chocolate Caramel was $2.99 each; used $.75/1; total was $.75 each

McCormick Grill Mates were $.59 each; used $.25/1; total was $.16 overage on each

Welch's Grape Juice was $3.19; used $.75/1; total was $.94

French's mustard was $1.00; used $.50/1; total was $.50 overage

Kikkoman Soy sauce was $1.50 each; used $.55/1; total was $.15 overage on each

Ortega refried beans were $1.00 each; used $.75/2; total was $.25 overage on 2

Ortega taco sauce was $1.00 each; used $.75/2; total was $.25 overage on 2

Special K bars were $1.50 each; used $.55/1; total was was $.15 overage on each

Grand total was $4.94 for $55.32 worth of groceries. That's almost 89% savings! Yay!

Harris Teeter Deals for May 15 - 21

Triple coupons are May 15-17. You can see the deals for those here and here. If you want to see the store ad, just click on the banner.
Harris Teeter ad




Don't forget to stop by and visit the Grocery Gathering to see all the best deals for the week!

Thursday Grocery Gathering

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Frugal Menu Planning and Grocery Shopping

I hate planning menus. But I know it's important to do it because 1. It will keep me from aimless grocery shopping and unnecessary spending, and 2. I don't have to wonder at 5:00 every night what I'm going to fix for dinner. But I hate to do it! So I let somebody else do it for me. That somebody else is Menus4Moms. And the best part is that their menus are free! This is the only free menu site I have found, but it's also the best I've seen! They have some really neat features like reminding you to cook double hamburger if you're going to use it in tomorrow's dish, giving instructions on how to make double batches and freeze them, and lots more! Here's how I make sure my menus are frugal, though: I don't just automatically use the menus that the site has listed for that particular week. I go through my grocery store ads first to see what meat and produce are on sale (or what I already have in the freezer), then I go through the site archives and find a week of menus that uses mainly those meats and produce. I tweak the menu as needed according to our family's tastes, and voila! my menu planning is done for the week in literally minutes! I love it! Fast and frugal! It really works for me!

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Buy a Drink, Get Free Southern Style Chicken


Mark your calendars for May 15th! McDonald's is giving away Southern Style Chicken (biscuits in the morning, sandwiches in the afternoon and evening) when you purchase any medium or large drink. Yummy!

Surprise Gift from Post-It

I'm sure a lot of you bought $15 worth of Post-it products when they produced ECB's at CVS a couple weeks ago. If you did, you can get a free surprise gift from Post-it if you have your receipt and UPC's. Go here to print the form.

Free Kraft Salad Dressing


Have you gotten your Summer 2008 Food and Family magazine yet? If so, don't throw it away until you check between pages 28 and 29 for your coupon for a free bottle of Kraft salad dressing! If you do not currently receive the Food and Family magazine, you can subscribe for free! Go here to sign up.

Monday, May 12, 2008

More Money in Your Mailbox

I posted earlier about American Consumer Opinion and MySurvey.com. Both of these are survey sites that I like and have earned quite a bit from. Another survey company that I like (I actually just finished a $2 survey) is Survey Savvy. I receive email invitations from them periodically, and the surveys generally pay around $2 each. Some survey sites reach their quotas so quickly that it's hard to qualify for a survey even if they've invited you, but Survey Savvy is not quite as popular yet, and if I don't have time to take a survey right away, I can usually wait a while and it will still be available. Whenever I request a check, it seems to come fairly quickly. Sign up today to start earning some extra cash!

Survey Savvy

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Ingles Deals for May 11-17




To see the entire ad, just click on the Advantage card.





Ingles Advertisement


It looks like a pretty pathetic week at Ingles again. I came up with all of three deals, and none of them are anything to write home about. Ingles is quickly becoming NOT my favorite store!

A1 Steak Sauce
Sale price = 2/$5
Use $1/1 from 5/11 S
You pay = $1.50 each

Blue Bell Ice Cream
Sale price = $3.98
Use $1/1 printable coupon (register first)

You pay = $2.98 each


Borden cheese 8-12 oz.
Sale price = 2/$4
Use $.55/1 printable coupon
You pay = $1.45 each

To see all the best deals for the week, go take a look at the Monday edition of the Grocery Gathering!


Thursday Grocery Gathering

Saturday, May 10, 2008

BOGO Coupon for SOBE Life Water


Here is a Buy One Get One Free coupon for SOBE Life Water. This month you get $1 ECB when you buy two of certain drinks, and the SOBE Life Water is included. I'm not sure of the regular price on these, but based on what other drinks normally are they'll probably be around $1.39 or $1.49 each before coupon. I like to use drinks as a filler item, and now I'll be able to get 2 for the price of one, plus get $1 ECB to boot!